Bob Marshall Wilderness Backpacking and the Chinese Wall, Montana

The Trip

"Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer. Camp out among the grasses and gentians of glacial meadows, in craggy garden nooks full of nature's darlings. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another is closed, but nature's sources never fail." - John Muir

The National Forest Service describes the Bob Marshall Wilderness (or just “the Bob”) as “one of the most completely preserved mountain ecosystems in the world, the kind of wilderness most people can only imagine: rugged peaks, alpine lakes, cascading waterfalls, grassy meadows embellished with shimmering streams, a towering coniferous forest, and big river valleys.”  Located just below Glacier National Park, this million-acre wilderness is part of the larger Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, composed of the Bob, the Scapegoat Wilderness (240,000 acres), and the Great Bear Wilderness (290,000 acres). Together, these three wilderness areas comprise the third largest wilderness area in the lower 48 states.

On this adventure, we’ll follow several beautiful river valleys, view jagged peaks, reefs, and vistas, and bask in the wilderness.  Our main goal is to reach the famous Chinese Wall, a 1000-foot, 40-mile-long escarpment that is the result of an upheaval, creating a split from Glacier Park almost down to Yellowstone Park. We will take a layover day under the wall, so that on a day hike we can follow the wall farther and be rewarded with the superb beauty of some of the most spectacular and rugged scenery found in North America.  If we are lucky, we might see some of the area’s wildlife that includes wolverines, wolves, moose, deer, elk, mountain goats, mountain sheep, mountain lions, black bears, and grizzly bears.

Originally protected as primitive areas in 1941, this wilderness complex was designated in 1964 as part of the original group of lands in the Wilderness Act.  It was named to honor Bob Marshall, the co-founder of the Wilderness Society who worked tirelessly to protect and preserve primitive lands in the lower 48 states as well as Alaska. He often took “day hikes” of 40 miles. Though we will figuratively walk in his footsteps; we won’t try to match his mileage with our full packs. Plan on six hiking days with packs and one layover day for a total trip mileage of around 53 miles.  

As John Muir wrote, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.”  So, if wilderness is a necessity to you, then this outing is for you.

The route will be a loop so that we can visit the Chinese Wall. Please understand that the route may need to be changed for your safety, depending on trail conditions, weather, or the group’s ability.

Day 1: West of sleepy Choteau, Montana, our hike will start at the South Fork Sun trailhead near the Benchmark Campground. We’ll follow the South Fork Sun River toward the north, and then move to the West Fork of the South Fork Sun River for about 9 miles to our first campsite at Reef Creek.

Day 2: We'll continue along this trail until where the trail cuts off from Burnt Creek to our second camp. Today’s distance is about 9 miles.

Day 3:  We’ll have a layover day to explore parts of the Chinese Wall without backpacks (or just relax around camp).

Day 4: Today we’ll hike northward along the Chinese Wall before turning east onto the Moose Creek trail to camp near Alces Creek. Our hiking distance will be about 10 miles.

Day 5: We’ll continue on the Moose Creek trail until it joins with the North Fork Sun River, which we will follow south. Our hiking distance today is about 7 miles.

Day 6: Continuing on the North Fork Sun River trail, our destination is Windfall Creek and camp. Hiking distance is about 9 miles. 

Day 7: On our last day, we continue to follow the North Fork Sun River back to the trailhead and cars for a distance of about 9 miles.

We may have to consider alternative routes depending on the abilities of our group and natural obstacles we might encounter.

Getting There

We’ll need to get an early start our first day, so everyone should be at our trailhead, west of Choteau, Montana, on Sunday, July 3 at 9 a.m. However, we would like to meet the whole group at 5:00 p.m. the day before the official start of the trip to have an orientation, review packing suggestions, and eat dinner together at a local restaurant. We would then meet (location to be specified later) at 7:00 a.m. on day one (Sunday, July 3) after breakfast to drive to the trailhead.  Lunch that day will be the first meal provided on the trip. We recommend flying into Great Falls Airport. If you prefer to arrive elsewhere, please notify the leader. The distance from Great Falls to our trailhead is 84 miles; the first 54 miles is on major highways, and the last 30 miles is on secondary Forest Service roads. From Choteau, the trailhead is 56 miles, and about two hours' driving time. The leader recommends arriving a day or two before the trip (to ensure that no travel problems prevent you from joining us) and staying at one of several small motels in or near Choteau.

We finish the trip on Saturday, July 9. Participants should not book return flights until the day following the end of the trip (Sunday, July 10). We hope we will be back to the trailhead by 4:00 p.m. on our last hiking day.

The leader will provide more information and driving directions for approved participants.

Accommodations and Food

We believe in eating well on hiking trips and plan for a variety of tasty, nutritious food.  Meals may include meat or fish, but will be adapted for vegetarians.  As everyone has different tastes, we will ask participants about food preferences before finalizing the menu. The leaders will not supply snacks or drinks on the trail during the day as people have diverse preferences.

The trip price includes all meals from lunch on day one through lunch on the last day, as well as use of group camping gear. We will prepare simple, lightweight, easy-to-prepare, good-tasting meals from dried and freeze-dried ingredients, using recipes tested on previous Sierra Club trips. Any food allergies or limitations must be indicated to the leader as far in advance of the trip as possible. Participants will share cooking and clean-up activities with guidance as necessary from the trip staff.

Accommodations before and after the trip are not included in the trip. 

Trip Difficulty

This trip is rated “4.” We will be on established trails. The difficulty rating reflects the long distances expected and the elevation gain and loss on our more challenging days. Trip participants should have backpacking experience and the ability to carry a fully loaded (40- to 45-pound) backpack. Before adding food and water, you should shoot for pack weight of less than 20-25 pounds. We will use bear canisters. No climbing experience is required.

Water will be readily available along our route; we’ll have a group filter (for commissary only) at camp and purification tablets available during the day. Anything is possible with weather; the mountain makes its own weather. Come prepared for anything, as you would on any backpack trip.

The demands of the trip require very good physical conditioning and a sense of adventure.  Likewise, wilderness travel can go as planned or unforeseen conditions or circumstances can necessitate a change in plans, so please bring a flexible attitude with you on the trip. With these three traits, the rest will work out!

Equipment and Clothing

Trip members furnish their own backpack, sleeping bag, tent and other personal gear, including eating utensils. This must not weigh more than 25 pounds -– and if you can keep it below 20 pounds, all the better. The Club will provide commissary equipment, including pots, stoves, cooking utensils, and all food.  We will have a group first-aid kit; you should bring personal supplies and medications (particularly blister supplies). You must bring mosquito repellent, sunscreen, water bottle(s), a hat with a brim, and clothing suitable for possible rain and cold, along with well broken-in hiking boots. 

A detailed equipment checklist will be sent to approve participants.

To enjoy this adventure to the fullest, you're also asked to come equipped with a flexible and positive attitude, as well as a healthy sense of humor.

References

Maps:

• Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex Southern Half, Cairn Cartographics, Missoula, MT
• "Bob Marshall," "Great Bear," and "Scapegoat Wilderness Complex," USFS Northern Region, 1990

Books:

• Molvar, Erik, Hiking Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness. Falcon, 2001.
• Doig, Ivan, This House of Sky (Landscapes of a Western Mind). Harcourt Inc, 1978.
• Doig, Ivan, English Creek. Penguin Books, 1984.
• Doig, Ivan, Ride with Me, Mariah Montana. Penguin Books, 1990. (Ivan Doig’s dramatic trilogy of Montana ranch life is highly recommended. Try to read at least the first one.)
• Graetz, Rick, Montana’s Bob Marshall Country. Montana Magazine, 1985.
• Glover, James M., A Wilderness Original: The Life of Bob Marshall. Mountaineers Books, 1996.

Websites:

• Sierra Club’s Wild America: Protecting the Lands of Lewis and Clark: Glacier and Bob Marshall Ecosystem: http://www.sierraclub.org/lewisandclark/report00/rocky.asp
• Why Conserve Biological Diversity? http://www.nps.gov/glac/resources/bio3.htm#Diversity
• Island Biogeography and Glacier: http://www.nps.gov/glac/resources/bio4.htm#Island
• The Extinction Vortex: http://www.nps.gov/glac/resources/bio5.htm#Vortex
• Alliance for the Wild Rockies: http://www.wildrockiesalliance.org/issues

Conservation

The area we’ll visit has been “permanently” protected by a "Wilderness" designation, but the majority of Montana’s roadless areas have no such legal protection and are under continuous pressure of encroachment.

We’ll be in an ideal locale to reflect on the role this area plays in the Yellowstone-to-Yukon movement, as embodied in the proposed Rockies Prosperity Act. This act will define and establish corridors for flora and fauna in a novel approach.

Extractive industries continue to greedily eye the Rocky Mountain front, and past inroads have already taken their toll. We know that decisions are temporary and can be changed by new administrations and new government officials. We cannot consider existing wilderness designation to be permanent as far as threats from oil and gas exploration or hard rock mining industries are concerned. As we drive from Choteau, we’ll pass through the last home of the plains grizzly. Drilling in this area was turned back a few years ago only by an outcry by local citizen groups while national focus was on areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

We will discuss and practice minimal impact camping techniques. We may encounter a variety of different user groups, and will consider the proper respect due others, a cornerstone of Montana’s traditional Western ethic.

Many evenings, we will take time to discuss national and local environmental issues. You are encouraged to come prepared to introduce any topics of local or national interest.

The areas we will visit are among the most remote in the Lower 48, yet we’ll still see evidence of other users. We’ll have a magnificent setting to reflect on the question: “How much wilderness is enough?”

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and will operate under a permit from Lewis & Clark National Forest.